Monday, May 28, 2012

The sunshine to my rain.

Assalamualaikum and heyoo.

I've started my surgical rotation in the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital last week, even the name includes 'misery', which pretty much reflects my first few days in surgery. Although it wasn't off to a good start, I must say I've learned a lot, but that's a whole different story, which I may or may not share in the near future, seeing that I have a very faithful commitment to my part-time job as a procrastinator.

Ok. Last weekend I facetimed mommydaddayhh, and because I was so frustrated with myself over the first week of rotation, I regretted having too many complaints on what's wrong with my team, when in fact, I was the one with a big-headed fuss. Abah said we're there to learn, so I should be planting the 'I-don't-care-I'm here-for-Ilmu" attitude whenever people say something or do something that makes us feel bad.

Then, while arranging my virtual folders in my laptop, I saw the letter Mama forwarded to me a couple of weeks ago. A letter Abah printed out and handed to me on the very first day I registered into boarding school, 5-hour drive away from home. The very first day I was distanced from my family, at the age of 16.

And I cried like a big ugly baby when I read it the first time, because they told me not to read the letter until they went back home. You know that feeling when it's your first day in a strange environment, you have no friends, absolutely alone unpacking school uniforms and 3-in-1 milos into that little crampy besi locker, and then you read a letter written wholeheartedly by your beloved folks, while lying alone on your bouncing bunk bed. The first week was mad, I kept calling Mama a hundred times a day, trying to hide my croaky voice from my nocturnal crying. Man, was I a blubbery wreck.

But the first terrible week passed, and as what Mama Abah promised, that school indeed offered me memories I won't forget, I made new friends which remained in touch up till now.

A snippet from the nostalgic letter :) sweet kan :)

And when I read the letter again today, it enlightens me, in a way that reminds me of why I'm here. Abah went overseas at an age younger than myself, coming back home only once during his whole undergrad years, without any facetiming technology or skype whatsoever. He pulled through, so can I.